Humane Innards

The Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoody’s 800-fill down comes as a result of a partnership between Outdoor Research and  a supplier who sources its down globally from farmers who have pledged allegiance to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS).

Before I dive into the review, I think it’s worth mentioning how the down in jackets and other down-insulated products comes to be, the varying types of down and its origins. It isn’t always a process that is as warm and cozy as your down jacket or sleeping bag.

Lucky Geese vs Unlucky Geese

In a perfect world, the down in your jacket, sleeping bag, gloves and comforter come as the byproduct of the food industry. Geese and ducks are raised on farms with good food, fresh air, clean water and warm beds. When big enough, they’re slaughtered for their meat and the sleeve of a down jacket is filled. These are the lucky birds.

Unlucky geese are forcibly live-plucked several times a year for their entire lives to increase their meat production and their down is collected post-humously. The really unlucky geese are the ones who get live-lucked up to six times per year while being force-fed and then slaughtered for their bloated livers.

Responsibly-sourced Solution

These grisly practices have prompted the outdoor industry to search for a more ethical solution to obtaining down. Which ALLIED Feather & Down, a supplier who sources its down globally from geese farmers who only raise birds for meat and sells to companies, has done. ALLIED Feather & Down has responded to this scourge of animal abuse in two significant ways:

1. Created the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) which certifies and oversees a global network of goose and duck farmers that adhere to the standards and supply their partners with responsibly-sourced and processed down.
2. Created Track My Down, a program that enables ALLIED partner products like the Outdoor Research Helium down hoody to include a TrackMyDown.com hangtag with a lot number that traces the origin of the down (Europe or Asia), content (goose vs duck), fill power, care tips and information on the differences between European and Asian down.

TrackmyDown.com Hangtag

Think of the TMD hangtag as the 23andMe of your down jacket or sleeping bag.

My Outdoor Research Helium down hoody’s down comes from the perfect world side—as told by its TrackmyDown.com hangtag of 1508L19F2577 where I learned its full story and then some:

• The down in my Helium came from Europe. European birds live longer, grow larger and produce a higher quality down. Their Asian counterparts aren’t as lucky due to the need to feed the denser Asian population. Plus, birds in cold climates naturally grow warmer down.
• The down in my jacket is 100% grey goose! Goose down is better than duck down.
• Its verified fill-power is 810 fill power, which traps more air for its weight than 800 fill power. Bonus warmth. Woot!
• The specific break-down of the 810 fill contents is 91.3% down cluster, 4.3% down fiber, 1.8% feather fiber and 2.1% waterfowl, 0% broken feathers and quill, 0.4% landfowl and 0.1% residue.
• The differences between European and Asian down, old geese and young ducks. For example, a mature goose that lived on a farm Northern Norway will have a denser down than the youthful duck in Southern China—but a mature duck from Southern China will have a higher-quality down than a youthful goose on a farm in Northern Norway.

Warmth

Outdoor Research states that the Helium Down hoody offers 800 fill power; however, per its Track my Down hangtag, my jacket is actually insulated with 810 fill power.

So far this fall and winter, Minnesota has had an odd variety of normal seasonal temperatures (high 30’s) and abnormal (high teen’s, snow and gale-force winds to seventy-five degrees and sunny). On the high teens days, it has translated to a very warm jacket that performs well running around town on errands, walking outside and even a late fall hiking trip on the Superior Hiking Trail.

The hood is phenomenal and, when its bungee cords are tightened, stays on even in gusty 30-mph winds. It’s also helmet compatible for you ice climbers and mountaineers.

Fit

The Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoody performs as expected in this category. It’s designed to be worn as a stand-alone down jacket or as an insulating midlayer under a rainjacket or softshell.

Since fit is oftentimes aligned with size, I feel it is sized correctly. I’m a size small in general so that’s the size I went with. It was the right call. What impressed me the most in the fit was the length of the arms. They’re plenty long enough to cover my wrists when I’m stretching or reaching.

Packability

There is no reason to ever leave the Helium down hoody behind. If you don’t plan to wear it out the door, it packs down into a hand pocket so that you can stash it in any pack or bag. I’m dating myself by saying this but I consider the Helium down hoody to be in the “down sweater” category—but on caffeine. Unlike other 800-fill down sweaters I’ve had that easily stuff into their own pockets, the Helium takes a little more effort. This came as no surprise. The Helium has more down, it has a hood and its exterior fabric has more oomph to it (more on that in “Durability”).

Anyway, to make what could be an unnecessarily long story short, I did get the Helium packed into its own pocket—but was afraid to zip it all the way in case it ripped from its own girth. And as you can see from the photos above, despite having more insulation, a more durable exoskelten and a hood, it’s still just as packable in size as the unhooded, 800-fill Patagonia down sweater.

 Weather & Abrasion Resistance

The Outdoor Research Helium down hoody blew me away here. Like really blew me away. It actually has waterproofing in the shoulders and hood, thanks to the Pertex® Quantum Diamond Fuse technology. It is the same technology found in Outdoor Research’s Helium Rain products. To be clear, the Helium is not a rain jacket. But if you’re outside hiking, climbing, snowshoeing, winter camping, etc, and it starts to snow, the waterproof Pertex® Quantum Diamond Fuse technology will ensure snowflakes that melt on you hood and shoulders will not seep into the lining.

This also translates to increased durability and abrasion-resistance. Pertex Quantum is essentially very tightly woven yarns with diamond-shaped fibers that resist snags, block wind and have beading properties to repel rain and melting snow.

Final Thoughts

Warm with responsibly sourced down from Europe, versatile, packable, durable, weather- and water-resistant, the Outdoor Research Helium down hoody blew me away.

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Versatile, Multipurpose Use

The Chrome Cobra 3.0 Hoodie arrived in late January. In Minnesota, January means snowshoeing, fatbiking, bike commuting, Nordic skiing, travel and staying warm when binging on Netflix.

Its construction and style make it stand out as both a mid-layer and an outer-layer, but doesn’t look like it fits specifically in any real sport or activity category. This is a good thing because its non-binary style and purpose increases its versatility—a must, in my opinion, if one is going to spend $180 on a garment.

Bulk-free Warmth & Performance

As I said above, the Chrome Cobra 3.0 Hoodie works equally well as a mid-layer and an outer-layer. With light-weight merino wool baselayer, I wore it as a midlayer with a Northface Apex softshell jacket or down vest while snowshoeing. The temperatures on these tests runs ranged from 10 to 20 degrees and I was plenty comfortable. Mostly, though, I wore it as an outer layer fatbiking, commuter biking and Nordic skiing with only a Kora Shola yak wool baselayer Merino wool baselayer.

As with anything, you have to temper your baselayers to the temperatures. For example, I was sweating like cold beer glass on a hot day the day I Nordic skied in 20 degrees with a heavyweight baselayer. When fatbiking on a -5-degree day with just a heavyweight baselayer, I was freezing (and with freezing comes whining, moaning, cryonics, etc). You get the picture. Use your best judgement.

Features

The Chrome Cobra 3.0 is a blend of Merino wool and recycled polyester to combine breathability, warmth and durability. While 100% Merino wool is my fave, I honestly didn’t feel any difference with the polyester blended in. A couple other interesting features that the Cobra 3.0 offers are:

Two-way Zipper

For fatbiking and commuter cycling, this is a must for me because I’m generally wearing bulkier bottoms. Opening the zipper four or five inches below makes for a more comfortable ride when in the aggressive cycling position in the saddle. The zipper pull here is nicely glove-friendly, too.

Thumbholes

Of all the garments I own that have thumb loops, the Chrome Cobra 3.0 is the only one in which I don’t feel any biting at the base of my thumb. This is because the arms are delightfully long. Noice.

Rear Pocket with a Full Pass-through

Great for carrying tools, ID, money, and what have you but they need to be re-thought. The zipper pulls are microscopic and most definitely NOT glove-friendly. The Cobra 3.0 is an evergreen staple in the Chrome line, going back a decade with incremental updates made each year. So I’m kind of scratching head wondering why nobody thought to add glove-friendly zipper pulls to the pockets on a Merino wool hoodie intended to be worn in cold weather. (Note: the front zipper pull is glove-friendly, just not the pocket zipper pulls.)

Style

Beautifully longer in the back as a cycling jacket should be, I love how it has an element of being form-fitting but still has just enough room to accommodate any size baselayer. I also love how high the front zipper comes up, how it doesn’t sit at my throat and the delightful snuggle-effect it gives when fully zipped. My only criticism on the style is the color. It’s only available in black. This is not to say I want an option that includes pink (hell no!) but maybe a nice dark red.

Final Thoughts

If I was anal enough to do a rating scale on a scale of 10, I would give the Chrome Merino Cobra 3.0 Hoodie a solid 9 (I had to subtract a point for the microscopic zipper pulls). It is a highly-functional, highly-versatile, warm, breathable, well-designed and durable cold-weather Merino-blend hoodie for absolutely every type of cold-weather activity on your agenda. It’s even a fantastic piece for the shoulder seasons and for Spring and Fall hiking and camping. Even you yoga-goers will love it.

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I have always been a person who “sleeps cold”, and I was excited to wear the Cush slippers on a chilly Minnesota night to give theses booties a test.

The Slipper

The Baffin Cush Slippers are a fully insulated slipper, sole and all. They are sufficiently wide and have a toggle drawstring to tighten to the foot. The slip-resistant bottom is helpful when you are wearing these inside on linoleum or wood flooring. They can easily be kept clean as they are machine-washable.

The Test

The night I tested the Baffin Cush Slippers, the temperatures were in the 30s. I immediately put them on when I stepped foot in my tent, and I was ready to snooze. These slippers were toasty! My feet were very warm. To give it a true test, in the middle of the night, I kicked off one slipper and kept the other on for comparison. I noticed a bit more chill on the foot without the slipper. Soon enough, I stirred, and was happy to put on the slipper again. As warm as my feet were in these temps, I suspect they would maintain the heat in significantly colder temps.

Cozy House Shoes

While you can wear these camping, you can also use these as slippers around your house. I wore them inside for a bit and the slip-resistant soles worked great on my wood floors.

“Hot” Take

I enjoyed the Baffin Cush Slippers and can’t wait to use them on even colder campouts. They provided the heat I needed to have a restful night’s sleep. For me, I feel they are a bit too warm to be house shoes, but if you have cold tile floors, the warmth may be welcoming. If you enjoy camping in cooler weather and struggle with keeping warm like myself, I highly recommend these slippers.

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No Lacing Required

With a five-inch shaft height, it’s not too terribly an ordeal to enter the traditional way. However, the LOWA Casara GTX offers two convenient access points: zip on/off or lace on/off. My preference is to just zip and go. It took me a few iterations to get the laces dialed in for zipper entry.

If the laces were too loose, the Casaras had too much wiggle room and felt a little clumsy (this could be a recipe for blisters if you’re going to walk in them all day). If I laced them tighter, they felt nice and snug (although still very comfortable) but then I put them back, zipping the zipper required a degree of strength I didn’t possess in my fingers. So, experiment. Find your sweet spot. When you do, you’ll never have to touch the laces again.

Warm and Waterproof Innards

The LOWA Casara GTX’s derive their insulation from a GORE-TEX Panda® lining. I’m going to be completely transparent in that I have no idea what GORE-TEX Panda lining is. I searched and searched and searched, all over the GORE-TEX site for a technology description but no go. What I can say is that there are two ranges of GORE-TEX products: Original and Infinium. Original is “best-in-class waterproof protection”, as well as windproof and breathable. Infinium is “high-performance in drier weather conditions. The label in the Casara’s delivery box was that of Original. Therefore, they offer waterproof protection.

Has this been my experience with the Casara’s? Yes. With the exception of walking in deep snow, I wear the Casara’s everywhere. Minnesota’s winter of 2020-2021 has been a lottery. It came on like a lion in early November, giving me hope that we’d have a cold winter with ample snow. But then it went out like a lamb in December, melting our snowpack into slurries of slush. Then came a week of below zero temps, followed by a week of milder temperatures and snow.

This cycle has repeated itself ever since. I tell you this because I have worn the Cassara’s through all these cycles (in an urban setting) and the GORE-TEX lining has kept my feet dry and warm — especially on the day I renewed my driver’s license and had to wait outside in a line for 40 minutes when it was 22 degrees. All around me, miserable souls jogged in place or tapped side to side in a futile effort to keep the blood flow circulating in their feet. I just stood in one place, feet warm, loathing the DMV like any normal day.

Traction

LOWA named the Casara’s outsole the “LOWA® Sneaker Winter. It has a serrated stud arrangement that helps to shed snowpack on sidewalks, which helps to resist and mitigate slips, skids and slides.

If you plan to be walking on frozen, icy snow or ice you’ll be happy to know that they are Kahtoola MICROspike and Kahtoola NANOspike compatible. Should you want to walk snow that is deeper than 2-3 inches, they’re also compatible with Kahtoola INSTAgaiter Mid gaiters. 

Fit

The Casara’s run true to size—your actual shoe size. I wear a size 7.5 shoe but always go up to an 8 in hiking boots, which is the size I requested in my sample pair. At first I thought I should go with a 7.5 since technically they’re a shoe not a boot. But I went with the 8 figuring if they felt on the big side I could wear a thicker sock.

The bottom line is that the 8’s work because I’m wearing a thicker sock. My advice is if you have the opportunity to try them on, try on your actual size and a half-size up for comparison. Just be sure to try them on with a sock weight that you expect to wear with them. I wear a merino wool hiking sock; the same type of sock I wear in hiking boots. If you aren’t able to try them on first, go with the half-size up and plan to wear a thicker sock. Either way, I think, you’ll be fine.

Final Thoughts

Just when I thought my LOWA Alba II GTX’s were my go-to winter boot for wintry city streets, LOWA came up with the Casara’s. While the Casara’s don’t have the same terrain range as the Alba II’s, they still have all the finely-tuned details that makes a LOWA a LOWA: Outstanding traction, supportive, comfortable, warm, rugged, durable, well-made (in Europe, not China) and generally just good looking.

Well done again, LOWA.

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First, it must be said that these are ski gloves and I am not a skier. I tested these gloves on winter hikes, snowshoeing, ice climbing days, and dog walks. They have a medium-level bulk to them for a decent insulation to dexterity ratio and make good all-around winter sport gloves for folks recreating in snow.

Dexterity & Feel

For leather gloves, the breaking-in period on the Flylow Ridge gloves is very short. I found that they had decent mobility in the finger joints and palms right out of the package, and they softened up quickly with a couple of days of use. They don’t allow for particularly delicate tasks, but I could clumsily zip my jacket or tie my boot laces while wearing them. I had no problems with snowshoe bindings or trekking poles, belaying an ice climb and tying a figure-8 knot, or walking the dog. They were fine for swinging tools up an ice climb, but I prefer a thinner glove for ice climbing when the temperatures allow. Doubling back the strap on my crampons and using my keys proved to be tougher and I had to remove the gloves for these tasks. They’re truly hopeless for opening a beer can.

The leather itself is supple while retaining durability. Both the interior lining and stretch knit cuffs are soft and comfortable. For work gloves, they’re remarkably cozy. I never found myself fighting with the lining like I do with other gloves. When I put on my synthetic Hotfingers gloves, it sometimes felt like trying to put on a shirt that was turned inside-out in the sleeves. But this wasn’t a struggle I’ve faced with the Flylow Ridge gloves.

Insulation

Impermeable to wind, the Flylow Ridge gloves perform well down to 15 or 20 degrees Fahrenheit — and honestly, colder than that and you should really be wearing mittens anyhow. As long as I kept my hands in the gloves, Flylow’s proprietary SpaceLoft Micropuff insulation kept my digits warm. If my hands came out of the gloves and chilled, the insulation kept my fingers at the temperature they were going in. The gloves fit true to size to a little small and I couldn’t comfortably wear a liner glove inside the Ridges. If you find yourself taking your hands out of your gloves, consider sizing up to allow for liners or opting for mittens.

Waterproofing

As with any waterproof gear, these will require reapplication of waterproofing. The triple baking process with Sno Seal beeswax did a great job of keeping my hands dry the first few times. Particularly abrasive sports like climbing (specifically belaying), where the rope drags across the leather, will naturally require more frequent reapplication of a waterproofing wax like NikWax. After two days of belaying, enough of the waterproofing had been rubbed off that the leather was wicking water. This is not necessarily unexpected, but a reminder that gear performs better when you care for it according to your use.

You can see the wear patterns here in the photos above. The discoloration denotes where the gloves have soaked through on a particularly wet third day of ice climbing before retreating.

Final Thoughts

I like the Flylow Ridge gloves; they served me fairly well throughout the season. They’re on the more affordable end of the spectrum: at full price they retail for $50, whereas other waterproof, insulated leather gloves are two or three times the price at REI.

They’d be a good work-to-play glove for cold temps, taking you from chopping wood to the ski trails easily. If you want a sleeker evening look, they also come in black.

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What I Liked

Insulation

The most important thing in an insulated bottle is, of course, how well it insulates. In factory conditions, the GSI Outdoors Microlite 1000 Twist will supposedly keep your hot beverages hot for 18 hours and your cold beverages cold for 32 hours. In our field testing with temperatures ranging from seven degrees Fahrenheit to -5 degrees Fahrenheit, we gathered 12 hours of data from three insulated bottles and one non-insulated bottle as a control.

The other two insulated bottles were the Yeti Rambler 30 oz Tumbler with double wall plastic Magslide©  lid and the Klean Kanteen 32 oz Insulated Growler with Swing Lok© cap (no longer sold on the Klean Kanteen site). Each bottle was filled with boiling water (212 degrees F) and tested after 3, 8, and 12 hours. 

The GSI Outdoors Microlite 1000 Twist was a clear winner, even though the Klean Kanteen claims it will retain heat for 30 hours and cold for 80 hours.

In practice, after a number of frigid Minnesota days at the Sandstone Ice Park, I learned that if I wanted to drink my coffee, I had to temper it with a splash of iced coffee. Otherwise, it stayed too hot for me to drink without scalding my mouth. The insulation in the GSI Outdoors Microlite 1000 Twist works so well that if you’re going to drink the contents within 8 hours of filling it, you should make sure the liquid is drinkable when it goes in.

That said, this means that the Microlite 1000 Twist lets you plan easy comforts far ahead in your outdoor adventures. Let’s say you’re winter camping and know you’ll want a hot drink or hot soup at the end of a long first day: fill the thermos with boiling water or scalding hot soup before you leave, and 12 – 18 hours later, you’ll still have hot water. Or let’s say you’re in hot conditions: fill the the GSI Outdoors Microlite 1000 Twist with cold water and ice, and you’ll still have a liter of cold water the next day after everything else (you included) has baked in the sun. That ice water is going to feel great on your second day of summer adventure.

Construction

The size and shape of a Nalgene, the Microlite 1000 Twist holds a liter of liquid and still fits into any pack pouch the crowd favorite non-insulated water bottle does. With 2mm stainless steel 18/8 walls, it’s incredibly lightweight for its insulating power. The screw cap top seals easily and tightly, protecting against both leakage and heat loss, and unscrews just as easily with gloves on. The lid supposedly has a “leverage enhancing lobe making frozen bottles easier to open,” though I honestly didn’t notice much of a difference. The bottle is pretty durable, too, having been hit by falling ice from 40 meters with no real visible damage.

Price

Even though the Microlite 1000 Twist outperformed the other bottles in every technical way — weight, temperature retention, size — it is less expensive than the other bottles of similar caliber. At time of writing, it was $34.95 compared to Hydro Flask at $44.95, Yeti at $49.99, and Klean Kanteen at $54.99.

What I Didn’t Like

Washability

GSI Outdoors recommends hand washing the Microlite 1000 Twist only, compared to Yeti and Hydro Flask bottles, which are dishwasher safe. That’s it. That’s the only thing.

Final Thoughts

In full disclosure, before testing the GSI Outdoors Microlite 1000 Twist, I was a diehard Yeti groupie. After spending a season on the ice with the Microlite, it’s my go-to bottle. If you’re searching for an insulated bottle and you can survive hand washing — I know, really roughing it here — there’s no better thermos on the market right now than the GSI Outdoors Microlite 1000 Twist.

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In an industry where many manufacturers still embrace ‘shrink it and pink it’  and call it a day, it denigrates women’s apparel and products as a mere afterthought. Fortunately, these twelve women-founded, women-led companies make products for you, your body shape and all your adventures, be it hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, skiing, climbing, adventure travel, cycling, surfing, running and whatever you feel like doing.

AdventurHER Travel Adventure

Most outdoorswomen today were introduced to the outdoors and mentored by family or friends who were outdoorsy. But what happens when you don’t have that conduit? Founder, owner and guide extraordinaire of AdventurHER Travel Alli Neal set out to be that conduit. That mentor who nudges or (gently) kicks women in the rear to get outdoors “capably, confidently, and comfortably.”

Talk about women-found, women-led companies! To say AdventurHER is woman-led is to be literal about it. Alli leads women outdoors from all skill levels to camp, climb, surf, hike, bike, ski, SUP, you name it, all while ensuring supportive environment to build skills, confidence and, really, just have fun–whether it’s a weekend ice climbing clinic in Winona, MN or climbing and canyoneering in Moab, UT, inn to inn cycling in Ireland or something completely customized for you. | Adventurhertravel.com

Freshly Minted Socks

Suzette Ayotte is a Maine native and transplant to San Francisco. She founded Freshly Minted socks because she happens to be an avid cyclist with a designer’s eye. All Freshly Minted socks, which are made in Italy, have mid-century modern designs and colors for the cycling life. The price point is a very affordable and reasonable $20 and a portion is donated to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. Jump here to SpinCycle News to read more about NICA to get more kids on bikes. | Thefreshlyminted.com

Title Nine

If you’ve never heard of Title IX, it’s the much-needed legislation that passed in 1972 that opened up (most) sports to women. Missy Parks, the founder, saw that sports apparel manufacturers were in no hurry to accommodate women athletes. In 1989, Missy started Title Nine with the barest of bones office space in her Berkeley, CA garage: A rotary dial phone (with only 1 line) on her living room table.

Her first round of catalog distribution to 13,000 recipients netted a whopping 56 orders—of which only seven came from people she didn’t know. After several years of epic ideas and even more epic fails, Title Nine now has 23 stores in 11 states with a thriving catalog and website platform—and is still being led by Missy Parks. | Titlenine.com

Skirt Sports

Nicole DeBoom launched Skirt Sports the day after she won the 2004 Wisconsin Ironman Triathlon—wearing a prototype skirt she made at home. There are very few women founded, women led companies to begin with. Even fewere reach 15 years in business. Skirt Sports did just that in September 2019.

For active women of literally all shapes and sizes, Skirt Sports offers a vast line of running shorts, skirts, tops, leggings, bras and, for the cyclist, a skirt with a chamois. But the skirt that really hits the sweet spot is the Lotta Breeze Capri skirt with its flattering style and fun prints. | Skirtsports.com

Carve Designs

Carve Designs is an example of how the best ideas spring from lounging in hammocks, swaying in the breeze in San Pancho, Mexico. It was there that surfers Jennifer Hinton and Thayer Sylvester discussed the dismal prevalence of true surfing boardshorts for women—especially those of shapes and sizes that are never featured in catalogs.

Enter women-founded, women-led Carve Designs, which set out to fill the board short gap and then some. Today, Carve Designs, which is still run by Jen and Thayer, keeps true to their mission: Design athletic and casualwear for women of all shapes and sizes who push boundaries. Additionally, Carve Designs remains true to their sustainability initiatives by making a significant portion of their swimwear and activewear in California. | carvedesigns.com

Houdini

Like so many women athletes in modern dark ages, Swedish mountaineer and ski guide Lotta Giornofelice need clothes that didn’t exist: clothes climbing and ski touring that regulated body temperature for for start- and stop activities. So she made them herself, starting with fleece underwear for herself and some friends.

Today, Houdini creates minimalist styles that are functional for both women and men. But sustainability has—and always will be—the cornerstone of their brand: 100 percent of all the fabrics used in this season are recycled, recyclable, renewable, biodegradable Bluesign certified. | Houdinisportswear.com

Lightheart Gear

Not only is Lightheart Gear woman-founded and women-led, it was started as a sewing project by virtue of the Appalachian Trail. Founder and owner (and retired Air Force nurse, marathon runner, master sewer, AT and PCT hiker) Judy Gross was hiking the AT with a 4.5-pound one-person tent that was heavy and took up the bulk of her pack space. She believed that the current offering of lightweight tents on the market could be better so she approached her first tent design, a one-person shelter, with a problem-solving perspective.

She wanted lightweight. Had to be able to sit upright. Didn’t want to trip over guy-lines in the middle of night. And it couldn’t take up the bulk of the space in her pack. She designed and sewed the first prototype in her basement. Today, in addition to lightweight tents like the Lightheart Gear Firefly, the Lightheart Gear product line includes hiking skirts, rain gear all designed and produced in North Carolina. | Lightheartgear.com

Shredly

This woman-founded, woman-led company was started by Colorado mountain biker  (via a Kickstarter campaign) Ashley Rankin when she saw an opportunity to create a specialized niche of mountain bike shorts for women. And create she did! In a kaleidoscope of wild patterns with total trail functionality. There is no mistaking a Shredly short, especially the pro-unicorn Shredly Tina. In mountain biking apparel, Shredly is distinct. Today, she is still the designer and product tester and makes it all in Colorado. | Shredly.com

MuttRuk

Colorado native and outdoor/dog enthusiast Gretchen Dill founded MuttRuk because she wanted to create a backpack solution for hiking with dogs. After 12 years at a desk job as a Graphic Designer, spending lots of free time outdoors, and seeing a slew of local trails shut down to use by dogs, she felt it was about time to take action in both her career and impact on outdoor spaces.

Inspired by innovative gear, and using her background in design, she took the leap into the world of product design. MuttRuk represents an attitude of adventure as well as respect for our outdoor spaces. A brand that advocates for trail clean up by providing helpful solutions, and an advocate for rescue and training to help both owner and dog grow in confidence and bond together. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in June of this year, MuttRuk is now into production and the MuttRuck Hit the Trail Bundle Pack—which includes 14-liter pack and a rollout water dish for your dog! | Muttruck.com

Astrid Wild

Founder and owner of Maria Paulsson Ronnback designs outdoor clothing for women by women. Inspired by her Nordic roots, Astrid Wild Outdoor Fashion is 100 percent focused on design, the woman’s body, and versatile clothing made for wild adventures, recreation and the city outdoor life. Astrid Wild aims to inspire women to live a happier and healthier life, by spending more time in nature and connecting with like-minded women. | Astridwild.com

Blyss Running

Blyss Running hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Founder and owner Alyson Neel began running in her early forties by virtue of a Couch to 5k program. Running taught her that the athletic wear industry had no clue about what a woman needs and wants from her running apparel.

In 2015 Alyson used her background in fashion merchandising to design a pair of shorts. Then she made a running skirt. Today she designs and makes running wear for women like the Blyss Distance Short with deep pockets, longer lengths and higher waistbands—all while running marathons and designing and proudly making all her products in the US. | Blyssrunning.com

Krimson Klover

The heart and soul of Krimson Klover is adventure, which is what drove founder and creative director Rhonda Swenson to become a flight attendant. An unlikely beginning, yes, but connections she made while traveling soon morphed into designing sweaters and selling them through a small boutique sweater company—which she eventually purchased and became Krimson Klover.

Today, Krimson Klover remains a woman-founded woman-led company whose lineup includes slow-fashion style, like the Scandinavian-inspired Astrid Full-zip sweater for the adventurous woman. | Krimsonklover.com

Lo & Sons

Don’t let the “sons” trip you up. Helen Lo founded Lo & Sons to design and manufacture premium, thoughtfully-designed bags for travel and work. Helen, who has a PhD in social welfare, wanted a travel carry-on that was functional, not fugly, and environmentally-friendly. The first two points were easy to check off the wish list but the environmentally-friendly point wasn’t because it didn’t exist.

At 60 years of age, when many people are thinking about downshifting careers into the retirement, Helen gunned the accelerator. She believed it wasn’t enough to just“do no harm” when it comes to environmental impact. Lo & Sons is one of the growing number of brands that are leading the way to reversing decades of damage to the environment. | Loandsons.com

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What I Liked 

Weather-resistance

Humans were summiting 8,000-meter peaks and tending goats in January on the Steppes of Mongolia while wearing wool long before any lab-born textiles were even a remote idea in someone’s head. The Maloja OilinM Hoodie is constructed with heavy-weight Merino wool on the outside and was very effective at blocking cold gusty wind and repelling snow. When it did get wet it dried fast and still kept me warm. 

Naturally Odor-resistant and Breathable

During hot conditions and/or strenuous exercise, we regulate our body temperature through perspiration. However, it isn’t the sweat itself that drives body odor (sweat has no odor). Body odor is a result of high levels of perspiration pooling on the skin. Warm, wet skin is an incubus of bacterial growth and it’s the bacteria that causes us to smell like a compost pile.

What does this have to do with wool? Wool readily absorbs moisture and keeps the skin surface drier to deter bacteria. The wool then binds the odors within its fibers where the bacterial can’t thrive. This process is also what allows you to wear the same wool garment for days and weeks before it needs to be washed. When you add all this up, it’s a trifecta of Mother Nature’s most efficient product for outdoor apparel.

Multipurpose Use

The Maloja OilinM Hoodie’s construction and style makes it stand out as both a mid-layer and an outer-layer, which increases its versatility. As a mid-layer, I wore it under a Patagonia Adze jacket while snowshoeing on a -10 degree day. As an outer layer, its long waist and cut made it perfect for fatbiking or commuter cycling on 15-degree days when worn over a heavy-weight Merino wool baselayer.

It’s also ideal for Nordic skiing (see photo below), especially when paired with the Maloja BraidaM Ski Touring Pants. Basically, if you have $229 to spend on an active Merino wool jacket, the Maloja OilinM meets the qualifications for fatbiking, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, travel and the emerging “sport” of athleisure (e.g. binge-watching season 4 of Better Call Saul). Even you yoga junkies will appreciate the BraidaM.

Warmth without Bulk 

The coldest temperature I’ve worn the Maloja OilinM as an outer layer was about 5 degrees and I was cross-country skiing. On this particular day, I paired it with a Kora Shola yak wool baselayer. After I had been skiing for about fifteen minutes, I was comfortable. On days when it was twenty-or-so degrees, I paired it with a Brynje of Norway Lady Wool Thermo Mesh Long Sleeve shirt and the combination was comfortable. On extremely cold days—like below zero—its fitted style works best as a mid-layer. What’s nice about the cut of the Maloja OilinM Hoodie is that it works very well as a mid-layer under a heavier outerlayer when conditions call for it.

What Could be Better

It has two zippered side pockets that don’t hold anything larger than a set of keys. It would be nice to have a rear zippered pocket that is big enough to hold a smartphone or an iPod.

Final Thoughts

The Maloja OilinM Hoodie, with its highly-functional recycled polyester fleece on the inside and the superb moisture-wicking properties of Merino wool on the outside make this a jacket you can use for a variety of activities year-round.

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Now, I need the jaws of life to pry me out of the recliner and into fresh air and sunlight. The Maloja NeshaM Vest ($139) is my jaw of life.

Comfort

Cross-country skiing is highly physical. Wearing too many layers, or clothing that is heavy and warm, causes you to overheat. Overheating makes you sweat. Sweat makes you cold. Hence the reason I prefer a good vest and a mid-weight merino wool baselayer. The Maloja NeshaM is designed to work in tandem with a wool baselayer: the baselayer keeps me warm and the vest maintains the warmth in my core. The NeshaM is also non-restrictive in the arms and shoulders, allowing for a full range of arm motion.

Warmth

The Maloja NeshaM is a vest designed for high-aerobic activity. Thus, it does not have insulation. This winter hasn’t been especially cold, and the coldest day on which I wore the NeshaM was around 25 degrees. I was warm because I was skiing. Had been standing around, winter walking or even snowshoeing, I would have been cursing my decision to go skiing vs binging on Cobra Kai from the warmth of a recliner and the tender remembrances of a post-pubescent Billy Zabka.

Wind Resistance

Bring on the howling, frigid wind I say! The Maloja NeshaM vest is reinforced with Stormshell +, Maloja’s proprietary ingredient for a lightweight multi-layered softshell fabric laminated with a breathable PU layer. While Stormshell + likely can’t compete head-to-head with the breed standard of  GORE-TEX Infinium Windstopper, it certainly does a decent job for an affordable $139.

Final Thoughts

I’m certainly a fan of Maloja, no surprise there. If you haven’t heard of them, they have a solid history in Europe for designing apparel that is stylish, forward-thinking, and technical. They’re growing steadily in the United States so expect to see the brand in more places than on Grit and Gear (ha!). The Maloja NeshaM vest is by no means a highly-technical vest but for the price tag of $139, it delivers pretty awesome results. Last winter I met their perfect pairing: The Maloja BraidaM Ski Touring pants, which I’ve been using for Nordic skiing. The combo of these two players is a beautiful thing for cross-country skiing.

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What I Loved

Wind-resistance

Howling, frigid wind that penetrates fabric and chills the legs is a major contributor to a lack of warmth and comfort. The Maloja BraidaM touring pants did not have this problem thanks to a wind-blocking front made from GORE-TEX INFINIUM Windstopper. The membrane, when integrated into apparel, blocks all wind while still retaining its breathability. This was a bit of a (nice) shock to me because Maloja doesn’t specify on their site that the BraidaM’s are made with GORE-TEX Infinium Windstopper but they are. They really should call this out because it’s an important justification of the $239 price tag.  

Breathability & Ventilation

Another contributing factor to discomfort is when you work up a sweat and the sweat is trapped between your skin and the fabric. The Maloja BraidaM touring pants mitigate this problem in two ways. Two nicely long zippered ventilated slits on the thighs that open to a breathable mesh fabric and the GORE-TEX Infinium membrane. The breathable mesh fabric speaks for itself and anything with made with GORE-TEX Infinium is highly breathable and desirable.

Stretchy and non-Restrictive

Even with their attractive slim fit and a Brynje of Norway baselayer. We all like to show off our fine physiques on the trails but if that “sleek silhouette” isn’t done right, it’s an endless fight against constricting fabric. This wasn’t the case for me. The two contributing factors are its stretchy 4-way fabric that allows for an unimpeded range of motion and the sizing. I wear a size small and found the Maloja size small to be accurate.

Foot/bootstrap

This is a nice bonus because it holds the pant leg securely beneath your ski boot and does not impede ski bindings. The bottoms of the begs are also reinforced with a nice Cordura fabric for extra protection against twigs and branches, wet snow, or hard snow chunks.

What I Didn’t Like

Nothing to say here.

Final Thoughts

Like Braunschweiger and Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, the wind-resistant, breathable, agile and GORE-TEX Infinium Windstopper-infused  Maloja BraidaM Ski Touring pants is another fine example of German engineering! Pairs beautifully with the Maloja OilinM hoodie.

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